Chapter 280: I’ll Confess Everything

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: I’ll Confess Everything

"The person was wearing a hat and a mask, completely covered up, and kept their head down, so I couldn’t see their face clearly. I have a video recording here. I’m sending it to you now."

Chadwick Whitman opened the surveillance footage.

The camera angle was skewed and blurry, capturing only a fleeting side profile that made it impossible to see the woman’s face. Yet her figure and posture were a near-perfect match for Mrs. Churchill’s.

His gaze swept over the hem of the black trench coat.

He tapped his finger to zoom in, and a delicate camellia embroidery on the corner of the coat came into sharp focus.

This was a consistent part of Mrs. Churchill’s style.

He vaguely remembered Iris once mentioning to him that the camellia was the flower that symbolized her parents’ love.

At that moment, he was certain. This woman was Mrs. Churchill!

A cold glint flashed in Chadwick Whitman’s eyes as he gave a chilling order.

"Find Saul Linton’s whereabouts. Once you have him, bring him directly to my private villa."

"Yes, sir."

Hanging up, Chadwick Whitman slowly rose to his feet, his expression as grim as ever.

"There’s been a development. I’ll handle it personally. You two don’t need to worry. Get some rest."

He turned and strode out.

Renee Rhodes looked at his slightly pale face and couldn’t help but voice her concern.

"Chadwick, you haven’t fully recovered yet..."

Chadwick Whitman’s steps faltered for a moment, but his voice was steady.

"Vesper just gave me my medicine. I’m fine now."

Renee Rhodes was about to say more, but Vesper Grayson gently tugged on her arm and said softly,

"Go on, Chadwick. Call us if anything happens."

"Mm."

This old debt, a years-long entanglement of manipulation built on a supposed favor, was a grudge between him and the Churchill Family. It was only right that he settle it himself, once and for all.

Only after that tall, solitary figure had completely disappeared from the entryway did Renee Rhodes let out a soft sigh, her heart filled with sorrow and disappointment.

"Some people are just never satisfied. The Churchill Family is truly insatiably greedy."

"Chadwick has taken such good care of their family, and yet they still want to trap him for a lifetime."

"And that Hannah Churchill, who does she think she is? So young, yet so calculating. There’s nothing to like about her!"

Jenson Whitman lifted his cup of tea and took a sip, his eyes dark and contemplative.

"They’ve had it too easy for too long. They’ve forgotten their place. It’s about time they took a fall and got a reality check."

"This is the perfect opportunity for Chadwick to completely sever all ties with the Churchill Family and start fresh."

For years, the Churchill Family had used the debt owed to Iris Churchill to hold Chadwick Whitman hostage, constantly draining him, tying him down, and trapping him, causing him to drown in the past and close himself off.

Now, it was time to make a clean break.

The night was heavy, and the evening wind carried a chill.

Chadwick Whitman’s black Bentley glided smoothly out of the villa complex, its body cutting through the heavy darkness as it sped toward his private villa on the outskirts of the city.

His men were incredibly efficient. Saul Linton had just shown up at an underground gambling den, ready to try his luck, when people rushed in, grabbed his arms, and slammed him down onto a gambling table.

"Who are you people? What gives you the right to grab me!"

"President Whitman wants to see you."

Saul Linton’s face paled. "I’m not going! I don’t even know him that well! Let me go!"

But no one paid him any mind. They just dragged him away.

The people at the casino, of course, weren’t going to get involved in some gambler’s mess.

The light in the villa’s main hall was a cold, glaring white, and the air was so stagnant it was suffocating.

Saul Linton’s hands were restrained, and he was kneeling wretchedly on the cold tiles. His hair was a mess, and his eyes betrayed an unconcealable panic.

He looked at the man sitting on the sofa, his expression grim and menacing.

"President Whitman, I don’t think I’ve ever offended you, have I? Why did you have me brought here?"

Chadwick Whitman leisurely lit a cigarette, took a drag, and locked his dark eyes on him through the swirling smoke.

"Three days ago, did you go to the black market with Jean Sawyer?"

Saul Linton’s heart skipped a beat, his gaze darting around. "President Whitman, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

’How did he find out so quickly that I went to the black market with my cousin?’

’Could it be that my cousin failed? That she didn’t succeed?’

’Or... did she already succeed?’

"It’s fine if you don’t understand. You will soon enough."

Chadwick Whitman flicked the ash from his cigarette.

Two men stepped forward and dragged Saul Linton outside.

"What are you doing?! President Whitman, there must be a misunderstanding! Listen to me—"

Before he could finish, a hand was clamped over his mouth.

"MMMPH..."

A moment later, the sound of dogs barking, accompanied by Saul Linton’s blood-curdling screams, echoed through the courtyard.

The air filled with the stench of urine mixed with the smell of blood.

Saul Linton clutched his bleeding arm, his eyes wide with terror, his entire body trembling.

Chadwick Whitman walked out slowly. He stood tall in his black overcoat, his chilling, ruthless aura pressing down like a physical weight.

He looked down at him, his dark eyes devoid of any warmth. His voice was as cold as frost.

"My patience is limited. You’d be wise to cherish the chance I’m giving you. Otherwise, in Veridia, getting rid of you would be easier than crushing an ant."

Saul Linton trembled and hurriedly blurted out, "I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! It was my cousin, Mrs. Churchill, who came to me! She knew I knew a black market drug dealer and asked me to help her buy a potent drug! She said it was to help Hannah Churchill get close to you! It was all Mrs. Churchill’s idea! I just made the connection!"

An extremely cold gleam flashed through Chadwick Whitman’s eyes.

"Take him to the police station. Once you’re there, you know what to say, don’t you?"

Saul Linton nodded frantically. "I do!"

...

The three members of the Churchill family in the detention cell had been clinging to a sliver of hope, quietly waiting for the 24-hour limit to expire so they could walk free.

An officer handling the case pushed the door open and informed them calmly,

"Saul Linton just turned himself in and confessed. He’s explained the entire sequence of events clearly."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the color drained from Mrs. Churchill’s face. Mr. Churchill and Hannah Churchill’s expressions also sank, becoming utterly grim.

"That’s not true! Saul Linton is lying to frame me!" Mrs. Churchill shouted, banging emotionally on the bars. "I want to confront him face-to-face!"

The officer ignored her shouting and simply played the call recording and Saul Linton’s recorded confession.

"The evidence is now conclusive. We’ve also located the black market dealer who sold the drug, and he has testified that you accompanied Saul Linton to purchase the illegal potent drug that day."

Mrs. Churchill went limp, her body swaying as if she would collapse. She shrieked, her eyes red,

"I want to see Chadwick Whitman! I want him to come see me in person!"

The officer glanced up, his tone tinged with cold sarcasm.

"Who do you think President Whitman is? Do you really believe you can see him just by asking? He won’t be personally involved in this matter. Everything will be handled by his legal counsel. If you have any defense or requests, you can tell your lawyer during the interrogation and subsequent trial. There’s no need to keep clamoring to see President Whitman."

After the investigation confirmed that the entire affair was planned and executed by Mrs. Churchill, Jean Sawyer, and that Mr. Churchill and Hannah Churchill were not involved in the drugging plot, their suspicion was cleared, and the police immediately processed their release.

The two returned home, utterly dejected. The butler approached them with an iPad.

"Sir, the Whitman Family issued an official statement tonight. They’re cutting all ties with and withdrawing all protection from the Churchill Family..."

The moment Mr. Churchill read the contents of the statement, he felt as if his world had come crashing down.

He had been certain that the Whitman Family, mindful of the life debt they owed to Iris Churchill, would at most issue a warning and would never truly burn their bridges. He never expected them to be so ruthless.

Rage surged in Mr. Churchill’s chest. He slammed his palm onto the solid wood coffee table, making the teacups rattle and CLANG.

"The Whitman Family... truly heartless and disloyal! If my daughter Iris Churchill hadn’t given her life to save Chadwick Whitman back then, he’d be long dead, and the Whitman Family would have no heir!"

"Over such a small matter, they show no gratitude for her saving his life! I bet they’ve wanted to do this for a long time and are just using this as an excuse to cut us off!"

Hannah Churchill looked panicked. "Dad, what do we do now? If the Whitman Family really stops protecting us, how will the Churchill Family survive in Veridia?"

Most of the company’s partners only worked with the Churchill Family out of respect for the Whitmans.

Mr. Churchill took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his towering rage.

"First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go to their home to apologize in person. We’ll be humble, properly atone to the Whitman Family, bring up the favor your sister did for them, and push all the blame onto your mother. They won’t be too ruthless then."

"But what if they don’t buy it?" Hannah Churchill looked terrified and was at a complete loss.

"If they still refuse to forgive us or back down, then we’ll hold a press conference and play the victim! Let everyone in Veridia see how ungrateful the Whitman Family is!"

"But wouldn’t that burn our bridges completely? How could I ever marry into the Whitman Family then?"

Mr. Churchill stared at her as if she were an idiot. "At a time like this, you’re still dreaming of marrying into the Whitman Family? Let me tell you, it’s never going to happen in this lifetime!"

All the strength seemed to drain from Hannah Churchill’s body. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the sofa.

The next day at the crack of dawn, Mr. Churchill took Hannah Churchill, along with lavish gifts, and drove to the Whitman family’s villa.

But as soon as their car stopped outside the villa gate, they were blocked by security. They didn’t even get to see a single member of the Whitman Family.

On the way back, Mr. Churchill’s phone rang nonstop. It was call after call from long-term manufacturing partners and investors, all wanting to terminate their contracts.

Mr. Churchill forced a smile and said everything he could, but their attitude was firm. They insisted on terminating the contracts, leaving no room for negotiation.

Partnerships were halted across the board, and massive orders were all canceled. In just half a day, the Churchill family’s businesses suffered a devastating blow, and their capital chain was on the verge of breaking.

With pressure mounting from within the company, Mr. Churchill was at his wit’s end.

’Since the Whitman Family shows no mercy, they can’t blame me for being ruthless!’

He ordered his assistant to contact all the major media outlets and arrange a press conference at The Regent Hotel at noon.

Mr. Churchill, dressed in haggard attire, sat before a bank of media cameras with a red-eyed Hannah Churchill. The moment he started speaking, his own eyes reddened. Every sentence invoked his deceased daughter, Iris Churchill, as he tearfully accused the Whitman Family of being ungrateful and using their power to bully others. He claimed that after only two years, they were now trying to drive the Churchill Family to ruin.

He made no mention whatsoever of Mrs. Churchill’s drugging scheme.

It was a desperate attempt to manipulate public opinion and force the Whitman Family to back down and make concessions.